But her sister wasn't watching the early-morning sun as it lit up the rolling lawns of the Beddingfield estate. Instead her gaze met Sadie's. Tears stung Sadie's nose and eyes as her sister gifted her with a weak smile of welcome.
Quickly crossing the room, she bent over and carefully pulled Amber close. She still had an IV attached to keep her from dehydrating. But otherwise she was awake, and the staff must have thought her well enough to come home for a while.
Bending down, she met her sister's eyes, green like her own, and whispered, "When did you get here?"
Amber grinned, though she didn't lift her head from where it rested on the chair. "Just yesterday. We were gonna Skype you last night, but when you called to say you were coming home we decided to surprise you."
"Well, I definitely am."
Her sister's thin hair had been cropped close, leaving a pale auburn halo of curls that highlighted the too-prominent cheekbones in her pale face. Sadie brushed her fingers over the softness. "How are you, kiddo?"
"My white blood count is closer to normal, for now. Electrolytes are good. And I tolerated this latest round of treatments better than they expected, so I got to come home a few days early."
"That's great."
"She's getting stronger," their mother said. Sadie glanced over at her; she hadn't moved but had opened her eyes to watch her daughters. "The doctors are quite pleased."
"I bet."
Any improvement in Amber's condition was considered wonderful at this stage. Their goal now was to halt the deterioration from the disease and keep her as pain-free as possible, without the disorientation and fatigue that could come from the wrong drug combinations.
"I'm so glad you're home," Amber said, reaching out to squeeze Sadie's hand.
The chill from her sister's skin always startled Sadie. She reached up with her other hand, creating a little sandwich pocket in an effort to warm the cold fingers with her own. It never seemed to help, but Amber told her it felt good, so Sadie had formed the habit over time.
"And just why are you home?" her mother asked.
Her tone said she knew something was up. Not that Sadie was very good at hiding things. Or maybe she was too good, since she'd been able to deceive Zach for so long. "It was time," she said simply.
It was more than time to cut the ties. Maybe Zach seeing that text was for the best, even though her breaking heart didn't think so. If it had been up to her, she inevitably would have delayed. And then where would she be?
She pressed her sister's hand a little more tightly. "You rest a bit. I'll fix you some tea," she said.
"That would be good." But Amber didn't close her eyes. Instead she turned back to gaze out the window. She'd often told Sadie that she slept enough at the treatment center, pumped up on pain meds and other drugs. When she was home, she wanted to experience life, even if it was only through the window of their apartment.
Trying hard not to let a new wave of tears overwhelm her, Sadie retraced her steps down the hall to the kitchen. As expected, Sadie's mother joined her.
"For someone who has just been on the trip of their dreams, you do not look like you had a very restful time," her mother said quietly.
Sadie appreciated her mother's attempt to keep Amber from hearing her.
"That's because I lied," she said, figuring the straightforward approach was probably best.
There was no shock from her mother, only an understanding nod. "I see."
Why did life have to be so hard? "I did a very bad thing, Mom."
"I'm sure you did."
Sadie glanced over in surprise, spilling a bit of water over the edge of the electric kettle. "What? Why would you think that?"
"Sadie," she said with a sad shake of her head, "when was Mr. Beddingfield ever involved in anything good? Yes, he might have changed his perspective somewhat on his deathbed, but that man never did something only from goodness. There was always an ulterior motive."
Ulterior motive indeed. "Mr. Beddingfield didn't send me on this trip. Victor did."
Her mother's eyes widened. "Yes, I can see why you didn't share that with me. There is nothing benevolent in that man. I was surprised to even come home to find our stuff still here yesterday. I couldn't figure out why he hasn't made us leave the estate yet."
"It was part of our agreement," Sadie confessed.
Then she went on to tell her mother the how and why of her trip back to Black Hills, South Carolina. About halfway through she looked away, unable to bear what was sure to be her mother's disappointment in her. She managed to keep the tears at bay until she mentioned the baby she was now sure she carried.
The silence of several minutes was only broken by the release of steam from the kettle. Sadie couldn't bring herself to steep her sister's tea. Instead she remained with her arms braced against the counter, praying that the pain in her heart would ease enough to let her breathe again.
"So this man, Zach, will we be seeing him again?" her mother asked.
Sadie nodded. "I'll have to tell him about the baby, but it was so new, I just...couldn't." A deep breath braced her for her latest decision. "I will contact him soon enough, but I want to be established in a new job, a new place to live. I just couldn't bear to give him the impression that I told him about the baby to get some of his money."
"But Sadie, how will we afford-"
"I don't know. We just will. Somehow." But she knew beyond a doubt she couldn't face asking Zach for money. She wasn't even sure she would be able to take it if he offered. So much of this whole situation had been motivated by her struggles to simply keep their heads above water.
But other people would only see it as greed.
"We will figure something out," she assured her mother with a false smile. "I'll start looking for another job today. One thing-the only good thing-Mr. Beddingfield did was to safeguard me against any attempt Victor made to discredit me. I have a certified reference from him, with his lawyer's signature as witness. That will at least give me a place to start."
Some of the strain on her mother's face eased. "Yes, it will help. I could look for something-"
"Absolutely not." They'd had this discussion time and again. "Amber needs you with her. We both know that. I'll fix this, somehow."
Even if the solution was a complete and total mystery to her right now.
* * *
Zach took a seat in the substantial waiting area at the offices of Beddingfield's lawyer, Timberlake. Apparently, Beddingfield Senior had been a big man in town, and he'd paid for the best in everything. Including lawyers.
Zach couldn't bring himself to think of the man as his father. He'd contributed DNA, but that was about it.
Except now, after his death, he was about to gift Zach with a fortune that still boggled his mind, according to his phone conversations with the lawyer. Beddingfield hadn't just hit it big in the oil business after coming to Texas, he'd then diversified, which had protected his assets from market fluctuations and downturns. Zach would be in a tax bracket far removed from the one he'd moved into after opening his own business. The thought was so far outside reality that he'd stopped trying to comprehend it.
But in terms of the man who'd sired him-it was a case of too little, too late.
Zach had chosen to make an impromptu trip to Dallas before telling his family all that had transpired. He preferred to have all the facts at hand first.
Besides, his sister had become increasingly curious about Sadie, not buying Zach's excuse that she'd returned home for a family emergency. Of course, after his investigation into her history, that excuse might not have been as far from reality as he'd thought when he made it up.
Sadie had told the truth about some things. This time around, Zach hadn't held back, using all the resources at his disposal when it came to investigating her. She'd used her real name. According to her tax records, she'd indeed been an employee of Beddingfield Senior for several years. And her mother had held the same position for the same employer until the year Sadie took over. Her mother had no employment records since then.
The few things Zach had been able to find out about Sadie's younger sister's illness had confirmed what he knew: she'd been ill a very long time and her prognosis was terminal.
The most eye-opening portion of his investigation had been his inquiries into Sadie's finances. That's when he'd started to feel dirty. She didn't have the usual expenses of a woman her age. No apartment or housing loan. No car loan, either. Two maxed-out credit cards that hadn't had any activity recorded in two years, other than payments. And astronomical debts to several medical institutions in the Dallas area.